Folding chair



Dec. 2l, 1954 K, ZOE'RCHER 2,697,481

FOLDING CHAIR Y Filedv June 18. 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 K. J. zoERcHER 2,697,481

FOLDING CHAIR 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Dec. 21, 1954 Filed June 18, 1953 ATTORN E YS United States Patent Olice Patented Dec. 2 1, 19,54

FOLDING CHAIR Karl J. Zoercher, Tell City, Ind., assignor to Tell City Chair Company, Tell City, Ind., a corporation of Indiana Application June 18, 1953, Serial No. 362,577

1 Claim. (Cl. 155-141) This invention relates to chairs, and more particularly to the bracing or linkage assemblies used on folding chairs and as disclosed in co-pending application, Serial Number 328,321, lled December 29, 1952, now Patent No. 2,679,895.

In the co-pending application, linkage is disclosed which is designed as a pre-assembled unit having three brackets for attachment to the respective separate elements of the chair, i. e. the back, the seat, and the front legs. By attachment of these brackets, the entire assembly is properly positioned. The present invention is directed to certain improvements in that assembly.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a folding chair linkage having extreme rigidity, which is designed to brace the chair without imposing undue strain upon the chair parts.

A more specific object is to provide such an assembly wherein the mounting brackets will distribute the stresses over wide areas of the chair parts and relieve the load upon the attaching means for the brackets.

Another object is to provide mounting brackets for such assemblies which may flex to some extent under strain to prevent binding of the linkage in the event that one or more links are not accurately mounted, or become slightly bent in use.

Other objects of the invention will become apparent from the following description of one practical embodiment thereof when taken in conjuction with the drawings which accompany, and form a part of, this specification.

ln the drawings:

Figure l is a side view of a folding chair equipped with folding linkage assemblies constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 2 is a front view of the chair shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a vertical section through the chair seat and linkage looking toward the chair back, and is taken on the line 3 3 of Figure l;

Figure 4 is a longitudinal section through the seat and adjacent parts of the chair illustrating the linkage in side elevation with the seat in down position;

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 4 but with the seat raised to folded position;

Figure 6 is a detail view showing the underside of one side of the seat and associated parts, the parts being in the folded position as shown in Figure 5; and,

Figure 7 is a detail sectional view through the front and rear legs in folded position, and is taken on the line 7 7 of Figure 5 Referring to the drawings in detail, there is shown a chair 1 having a back 2, including the side members 3 which are continuous to form the side rails of the back and also the back legs of the chair. The side rails are held in spaced relation by means of top and bottom rails 4 and 5, respectively, and the rung 6, which extends between the leg portions of the side members. The side rails of the back are substantially parallel to one another throughout their lengths. The seat 7 comprises side rails 8 and a front rail 9. Overlying the front and back rails is the seat proper, which includes the seat board 10 upon which is placed the usual padding 11 covered by suitable upholstery material 12. The side rails are shown as having their inner faces parallel to one another, and the outer faces of the rails converge toward the back so as to give a pleasing shape to the chair seat. Front legs 13 support the front end of the seat, and these legs are held in spaced relation by means of rungs 14. Due to the fact that the seat flares toward the front, the front legs are spaced apart a greater distance than the rear legs. The side rails 8 of the seat bear against a at vertical seat 9 on the side rails of the back, and the seat proper has its sides beveled at the rear so that it may project beyond the ends of the side rails to lie between the side rails 3 of the back. l

The back, the seat and the front legs form three separate sections which are connected together by means of linkage to permit folding of the chair, as will be described. Two matching linkages are used, one on each side of the chair, and as these linkages are identical, only one will be described.

The various parts 'of the linkage are interconnected and the entire assembly may be mounted upon the chair as a preassembled unit. The mounting means includes a rear anchor plate 17 and a front anchor plate 18. The rear anchor plate is recessed into the inner face of the side rail of the back and is fastened in place by means of screws 19. The front anchor plate is made in the form of an angle member, having a flange 20 to lie against the inside face of the front leg and a rear ange 21 adapted to be positioned in contact with the rear face of the front leg. Screws 22 pass through the rear ilange 21 and into the leg to secure the anchor plate in position. As the thrust upon this anchor plate is in a forward direction, the rear flange takes the thrust and there is relatively little strain upon the anchoring screws.

At the upper end of the rear anchor plate 17 a hinge bracket 23 is pivoted, as at 24. The hinge bracket, for the major portion of its length, is of angle construction, providing a side flange 25 which is vertically disposed and a horizontally disposed top ilange 26. These llanges are secured respectively to the side rail 8 of the seat and the seat board 1i?. They may be fastened by screws or other appropriate means. The side iiange 25 is extended at the rear and curved upwardly and it is this portion which is pivotally connected to the anchor plate at 24. The angle portion of the hinge bracket is of suflcient length to extend along the major portion of the underside of the seat. This portion of the bracket is slotted at the apex of the angle for a considerable distance between the ends of the bracket, as at 27, to separate the angle member into two separated strip sections between the ends of the angle section for a purpose which will be described.

The top of the front anchor plate 18 is connected to the hinge bracket by means of a link 28 which is pivotally connected to the respective anchor plate and hinge bracket at 29 and 30. The lower portion of the anchor plate 18 is also connected to the hinge bracket by means of a link 31. The respective pivotal connections of this link are shown at 32 and 33. A third link 34 has one end pivotally connected to the link 31 intermediate the ends of this latter link, as at 35, and has its opposite end pivotally connected to the lower portion of the rear anchor plate 17, as at 36. The various links are either slightly bowed or olfset transversely so that space will be provided between the links to prevent frictional contact and to permit passage of the heads of the respective pivot pins.

It will be seen that the linkage used is a complete assembly and can be attached to the chair simply by connecting the three brackets to the three sections of the chair. The strength of the connections to the front legs is increased by providing the rear flange 21 on the anchor plate and fastening the plate to the legs by means of screws through the rear flange. By reason of this construction, the thrust of the links is taken by the flange which is in ilush contact with the rear surface of the leg. Thus, the fastening screws serve merely to hold the anchor plate in position and do not take the strains imposed by the forwardly projecting links 28 and .31.

By separating the top and side anges of the hinge bracket by means of the slot 27, the side ilange in the area of the slot, indicated at 37, will be free ly to prevent binding of the pivot pins connecting the links to the bracket. Thus, if one of the links should become slightly bent through use, the linkage will not bind as the side liange of the hinge bracket will move slightly to permit free movement of the pivot. This construction will greatly prolong the useful life of the linkage and materially reduce the need Vfor repair.

to flex slight.-v

While in the above one practical embodiment of the invention has been disclosed, it will be understood that specific details described and illustrated are merely by way of example and that changes may be made within the scope of the appended claim.

What is laimed is:

In a linkage assembly for folding chairs having front and rear anchor plates with a hinge bracket pvotally connected to the rear anchor plate and links pivotally connecting the respective plates and bracket, said hinge bracket being of angle cross-section providing vertical and horizontal anges, said vertical Harige being separated from said horizontal flange throughout a portion of the lengths thereof intermediate the ends, and the pivotal connections between the links and the hinge bracket being to said vertical ange in the portion thereof separated from the horizontal ilange.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,926,840 Dick Sept. 12, 1933 2,044,473 Geller June 16, 1936 2,098,711 Rastetter Nov. 9, 1937 

